People generally know right from wrong and strive to be valued members of society, which involves abiding by moral standards of conduct. Moral failures nevertheless abound. Psychology has witnessed a burgeoning interest in morality, yet little attention has been paid to motivational and self-regulatory processes in the moral domain. This is the focus of the proposed research, which distinguishes between two regulatory systems and seeks to chart their unique roles in moral successes and failures. In particular, the researchers identify two types of moral regulation: prescriptive morality, an approach system that focuses on "shoulds," and proscriptive morality, a system that focuses on "should nots." This new dual system perspective suggests paradoxical pathways to immoral acts, including routes to immorality associated with over-regulation rather than the more obvious case of under-regulation. The research also illustrates the moral risks associated with reliance on a single regulatory system.
The researchers will investigate the nature and implications of this dual regulatory system in nine empirical studies that rely on diverse research methods. The first three studies examine factors associated with prescriptive and proscriptive regulation in order to gain a better understanding of their similarities and differences. These include separate explorations of brain activities, parenting style, and moral self-regard associated with these two modes of moral regulation. Four additional studies investigate actual moral behavior, both failures (cheating) and successes (helping behavior), in an attempt to uncover the distinct mechanisms underlying moral and immoral acts within each regulatory system. The final two studies are exploratory investigations of two domains that may profit from a dual regulatory perspective; the first focuses on power, and in particular the relationship between power and moral transgressions, and the second examines differences in people's reactions to transgressors, specifically punitive versus forgiving responses. Overall these studies seek to better understand distinct paths to morality and immorality and the unexpected ways in which moral regulation can lead to moral failures rather than successes, sometimes even despite good intentions. This is an important step in working towards creating a more moral society.
